


Three-legged Waltz

by AParticularlyLargeBear



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-21 17:35:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7396966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AParticularlyLargeBear/pseuds/AParticularlyLargeBear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At the Winter Palace, Rosemary Surana is feeling a little neglected.</p><p>- Friend of the Fade and Walk a Mile on This Crutch compliant, but can be read standalone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three-legged Waltz

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings - Rose has a dirty mouth and there's a couple instances of ableistic language. It's self-referential but bears noting.

"You know, no matter how many longing glances you give it, the dancefloor isn't going to come to you, Sparrow."

In a bout of utmost maturity, Rosemary Surana stuck out her tongue and made an obscene gesture, carefully concealing it from the remainder of the ballroom with her body.

"Says the man who has been hiding in a broom cupboard for half the ball."

"It happens to be a very nice cupboard. Roomie."

Rosemary glowered down - not too far down. Even as a dwarf, Varric Tethras wasn't that much shorter than her. "Some of us don't have that luxury. Do you realise how many war stories I've been asked for by puffed-up peacocks today?"

Varric shrugged. "Hey, at least they're not the Merchants' Guild."

"Varric, when they're not swarming around me like a pack of squawking vultures, they're spreading stupid rumours."

He cast her a sidelong glance. "Does that bother you, Sparrow?" his voice softened slightly.

Rose snorted a laugh. "Flames no! I don't give a chanter's hairy ass about Orlesian rumours, but there's an assassination in the works and they're too busy being _scandalised_ that their Grey Warden hero is a Fereldan elf. A crippled Fereldan elf."

"Not for nothing, Sparrow, but that sounds like bothered to me."

She made another face at him. "If that was an issue, I wouldn't have got very far in life, Varric. It's not like I've been become more Fereldan, elven, or crippled over the years. Just more famous."

"You know the Nightingale doesn't like you saying that, Sparrow..."

"Leliana's busy," Rose answered shortly. "And I'm allowed to say it about myself. S'just part of who I am."

"You mean not part of who you are. Cause it's missing," Varric kept a straight face for under a second, and then smirked.

Rosemary burst into laughter. "Oh Andraste's sanctified tits, that was a good one," she shook her head. "But you understand what I'm saying, right? Not to  _gloat_ , but I ended a Blight with one leg - why should I care what anybody thinks?"

"Fair enough... but the fact that the dancefloor has yet to be graced by your presence speaks otherwise, Sparrow."

"Leliana's busy," Rosemary repeated. "And I'm not going to drag her away from her duties just because I want some company."

"Aw c'mon Sparrow," another grin. "You really think that she's not letting herself have any fun? She's in her element!"

"That's because this is the Game," Rosemary made a gesture to the ballroom. "She'd be enjoying herself regardless. I'm a warden, not a bard. My job here is to make the rest of you jokers look more credible to the court."

"And when were you planning on starting?" Varric winked.

"Ow ow ow! They never told me dwarves had claws!" Rose responded with a chuckle. "My point is that I'd just be getting in the way. I'm not cut out for spying."

"The best spies never look like spies."

"Varric, the best spies can also get around without making enough noise to wake the dead."

He shrugged. "Just seems like a shame. How many times are you gonna get to go to a grand ball like this with your beau?"

"I feel like romantic time isn't exactly a priority right now, Varric. There are venatori crawling all over the place - if we mess this up, we could quite literally lose the whole war."

"I'd argue that's exactly when it's most important to have romantic time. When's your next chance gonna be?"

"That's just morbid. You're morbid," she attempted to laugh it off, but all of a sudden, it didn't seem so funny. Leliana and her hadn't had many chances to just be a couple; their duties had frequently kept them countries apart, and even when they were together, obligations had pulled every which way. Warden-Commander of Ferelden. Left Hand of the Divine. Those titles weren't for show - even now, the only reason Rosemary was acting alongside the Inquisition was that there was a darkspawn magister attempting to tear the world apart. 

It was, on the balance of things, probably kind of sad that it took an apocalyptic catastrophe for the two of them to be able to spend time together.

"Just something to think about, Sparrow. I know itchy feet when I see them."

Rosemary glanced down to where there was a conspicuous space where her right leg should have been, back up to Varric, and then arched an eyebrow.

He chuckled. "Figure of speech, Sparrow."

"I'll figure your speech."

"...What?"

"What?"

Varric shook his head. "Honestly I'd call you crazy... but you're the one who killed an archdemon, so that goes without saying."

"Well  _someone_ had to!"

Another smile played across his face. "You wardens," he glanced past her, leaning slightly to the side. "Hm. Looks like that's my cue. Keep your eyes peeled. And ask the Nightingale for a damn dance," he set off walking.

"You be careful!" she called after him, pointedly ignoring the last part.

"Messere I am the picture of caution."

"Uh huh."

Rose watched him go and made a face, shaking her head. In truth, Varric had hit closer to home than she cared to admit. While Leliana  _was_ busy, Rosemary actually did want to dance. Sort of. Kind of. ...It was complicated.

See, Rose was pretty good about not being self-conscious. She'd proven herself and more in the Blight, and 12 years a Warden had made clear that her disability didn't make her any less than anybody else. Even before that, her time in the Circle - well, she'd had to be robust and stubborn around the templars, not letting them get her down, and  _especially_ not let her missing limb get her down.

That was all fine. Only... this wasn't a Blight or a tower. This was probably the fanciest ballroom in Orlais. The Winter Palace was grand enough that books had been written about it. Rosemary was... anxious. She wasn't a very good dancer; she could sort of get around, but there were limitations to having one leg. And she just... she didn't want to embarrass Leliana with a bad showing out there in front of everyone.

And that she felt that way just really pissed Rosemary off. Why should she give a damn about pompous Orlesians snickering at her? Except it wouldn't just be her. It would be the both of them. And Leliana had way more at stake, reputationally, than Rose did. Nobody expected wardens to be great dancers. Nightingales and bards and Left Hands...

Yeah.

Flames and farts and grumpy cheese-stained Free Marchers.

Rose didn't feel like she was fitting in very well in the first place. The Inquisition had all dressed with a unified theme - matching uniform. Rosemary had warden colours and that was it; chiefly because officially, she wasn't actually a member of the Inquisition. Being warden-commander pretty much precluded her from throwing in her lot quite so openly, even though everyone knew that she was liaising with them. The only other odd member out in the party was Hawke, and that was because she had her own title to wear. Plus Hawke's husband was here, and they'd been pretty much glued together the entire time. It was both surprising and a little heartwarming to see the fierce and stern warrior looking so happy, and Prince Vael seemed just as delighted to see her.

So yeah. Rose was the loose end, and she didn't like that. She missed her team of wardens - she missed being in the field. She didn't regret responding to Leliana's call, but things had been so much less complicated when ancient darkspawn  _weren't_ trying to kill them all. Just uh. Regular darkspawn. Still, she had a responsibility here; the Inquisitor had brought the Grey Wardens into the Inquisition's fold, and damned if Rose was going to let them stay under another's command after the debacle with Clarel. They needed leadership more than ever; she couldn't just abandon them after they'd all been misled and manipulated when she was one of the only senior figures they had left. But there were no wardens here... which left Rose stuck, once again, as the odd one out.

Sighing, Rose closed her eyes, counted down one from ten, and then turned around, opening them again. Varric was nowhere to be seen, off on another clandestine excursion with the Inquisitor and her party. Rosemary wished that she could have gone with them, but she didn't need to be told that it was a bad idea. One important figure sneaking away during the ball was plausible - two was not. 

Rose started off across the ballroom, hopping along, steering herself with an ornate crutch tucked underneath her right arm. Each hopping step was accompanied by a gentle clacking of the crutch, a style of motion that was perfectly familiar to her now. For Rose it was just how she walked; she'd never known anything different, and so many years travelling Thedas had made it possible for her to move far faster than anyone would expect at first glance. Of course, Rose wasn't close to top speed right now - no sense clattering all over the palace for no reason.

"Lady Surana!"

Oh for the sweet love of the Maker.

Rosemary drew to a halt and forced herself to smile as the latest in a long line of Orlesian popinjays came swanning up to her. He was wearing some manner of voluminous... well it was almost a robe but frankly Rose had no idea and less interest.

"Good evening."

He beamed as if she'd conveyed Andraste's own blessings to him. "How wonderful to meet a real hero in the flesh!"

 _Go away._ "Oh you know... just doing what wardens do."

"Haha!" his smile just stretched. He was very tall, although his shape was almost impossible to identify behind the ruffles. "What few enough could accomplish, certainly!" he bowed deeply. "I am Auvren, the Comte de Dauchen."

Rosemary immediately excised the title from her memory. _Everyone_ here was the Comte de whatever or the baron of whoever - Rose had given up trying to keep track something like four years ago. "Good to meet you, Comte. Can I help you?"

"Ah, _non._ I had only an idle curiosity or two, if you were willing to indulge me."

 _No._ "Sure."

"Marvelous!" Auvren bowed again, apropos of seemingly nothing, and then leaned in, ever so slightly conspiratorially. "I had heard that the wardens are working with the Inquisition now. Is this an official alliance?"

Wow. He didn't ask the easy ones, did he? Rosemary shrugged. "Our enemy is a darkspawn. Wardens battle darkspawn. It's as simple as that."

"Aha!" Auvren's eyes twinkled. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend!"

"Something like that."

"If only it were always so simple. Often in Orlais, your enemy's friend is your friend, and the enemy of your enemy is also, in fact, your enemy."

Orlais. Why didn't that surprise her? Rose shrugged. "This doesn't leave a lot of room for ambiguity."

"Quite!" Auvren tipped his head back. "Well, here is to you and your wardens, Lady Surana."

"I'm a commander, not a lady, Comte, but thanks," Rose said, just a little sharply. She was born in an alienage and raised in a Circle. Nobility didn't apply to her even slightly, and it was the last thing she wanted to lay claim to.

"My apologies, commander. No offence was intended."

"It's fine, comte. Now, if there's nothing else?"

"Just a moment more of your time, commander, if you'll indulge my curiosity."

 _Andraste's pure and noble ass!_ "Go ahead, Comte."

Auvren leaned in close to her again, even moreso this time. He loomed over her. "It might be of interest to you to know this," he murmured. His voice had changed. Softer, less boisterous. "There has been some... discussion going around the court of late. Regarding Sister Leliana."

Rose froze. "You'd better explain. Fast."

Auvren tilted his head. "Understand that this is a courtesy. Unlike some, I actually bothered to make thorough study of the Blight. I know the stories. I know of your..." he trailed off, shrugged.

"What are you getting at, Auvren?"

He smiled gently. "Some are speculating as to the lady's, ah... eligibility."

"Excuse me?" Rosemary scowled. How was that possible? She and Leliana had been together nearly thirteen years!

A shrug. "Just how the winds of the court are blowing, commander. As I said, some are more willing to follow flights of fancy than spend a little time looking into the facts."

Rose glared at him. "I have nothing to prove, Auvren."

" _Au contrare..._ Commander - I will be blunt. This is Orlais and you are elven. People are willing to overlook that when you are the warden-commander of Ferelden. When it comes to courtly affairs? ...Less so," he straightened up, inclined his head. "Something to consider, commander. Enjoy the night."

He turned away and left, leaving Rosemary flushed, fuming. To flames with Orlais - and to flames with the court! What makersdamned difference did it make that she was an elf? That was somehow supposed to mean her relationship, her feelings didn't count? She clenched her fists, taking a long, long breath, and then slowly exhaling it.

Darkspawn were almost preferable to politics. At least darkspawn were upfront about wanting to tear off your face.

Rose looked through the crowd, and it was the work of moments to pick out Leliana. She'd hardly moved since last time Rose had seen her - not too far from Josephine Montilyet, amongst a little Inquisition enclave in a sea of Orlais. Immediately, Rosemary set off, hopping past courtiers to draw up alongside her partner.

Leliana was surveying the room, and didn't note Rose's presence beyond a very slight nod.

"How are things?"

Leliana kept her gaze out on the ballroom, kept her face carefully neutral. "Tense. It's not going unnoticed that the Inquisitor has stepped out twice," she didn't turn. Rosemary waited, eyes narrowing just slightly. She couldn't possibly be oblivious to this. She was the Nightingale - everything got to her, sooner or later. 

At length, Leliana looked around with a slight smile. "Well, don't leave me in suspense. Something's on your mind. I can tell."

"They've been talking about us, Leliana," Rose didn't phrase it as a question. 

Leliana raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

She hesitated. She hadn't expected that reply. "...Sorry?"

"The Inquisition has been the subject of most of the conversation; it's hardly a surprise that you and I would be mentioned here and there."

Rose's heart fluttered painfully. "And you don't think I would have liked to know?"

"I didn't think it was necessary to concern you. If it weren't for that kind of talk, then this wouldn't be Orlais."

"How can you be-!" Rose cut herself off from shouting as a couple of masked faces towards them, lowered her voice, resumed. "How can you be so casual about this? Do you seriously not care?"

Bemusement trickled across Leliana's face. "Foolish tongues will always wag," she hesitated. "I don't understand, Rose. Usually idle chatter doesn't bother you."

"When it's about  _me_ I don't care," Rose said, trying not to snap at her. "When it's about  _us..._ "

"I... oh," Leliana trailed off. "I see."

"They can say whatever they want about me. I've dealt with that since I was a kid - but Leli, you and I..." Rose squeezed her eyes shut, swallowed down a lump in her throat. "You know you're the best thing I have, right? I don't mean to sound possessive, it's just- I can't stand them just  _ignoring_ what we have."

"I understand," Leliana said, after a moment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

Rosemary sighed. "It's fine. It's not you that I'm angry with. It's just frustrating," she sighed slowly. "Sorry, you have Inquisition business to concentrate on and I'm-"

"Ssh," Leliana hushed her. "Never apologise for having feelings. Besides..." the corner of her mouth twitched upwards. "What the Inquisition needs at the moment is something to draw attention away from its leader's absence," the expression blossomed into a full fledged smile. "Come with me."

Leliana took her by the hand and, a shade perplexed, Rosemary followed. Leliana was well-adjusted to Rose's hopping gait by now, and they matched pace perfectly as they moved across the ballroom, weaving between nobles and waiting staff. All the while, Leliana smoothly deflected any attempts to engage her in conversation, responding with courtesy and yet politely rebuffing all comers.

"Leliana, where-" Rosemary stopped as Leliana halted. "Oh."

They were at the head of the steps down to the ballroom floor.

Leliana smiled at her. After a couple of seconds, Rose smiled back.

Hand in hand, fingers tightly intertwined, they descended the stairs.


End file.
